Gonzaga Women's Basketball Takes Unique Continuity Into Offseason
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Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Lisa Fortier reacts after a play against the Saint Mary's Gaels in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images [/caption]
In the midst of an era in college basketball where players change teams like the weather, Gonzaga women’s basketball is almost unfazed after the NCAA transfer portal closed this week.
With 12 players eligible to return, the Zags are retaining 10 of them, losing only two to the portal. One of the departees, senior guard Vera Günaydin, was always expected to leave after not playing in 2025-26 and planning to play professionally in the future. The other, sharpshooting guard, Paige Lofing, transferred back to her home university, Montana, after a promising freshman campaign in Spokane.
But everyone else on the Bulldogs is running it back, as they come off a year where they won the WCC championship and got back to the NCAA tournament. Now prepared to embark on a new path in the revamped Pac-12, head coach Lisa Fortier and her program are taking a strong combination of youth, talent, and continuity into next season.
To this point, there is only one confirmed addition to Gonzaga’s roster. After bringing in a freshman class of three last year, 6-2 forward Abby Lusk out of Idaho will be the only first-year player on the Zags this fall. Lofing leaving the Bulldogs also opens the opportunity to supplement their roster in the transfer portal. The early signs point to GU targeting a taller, athletic guard with strong passing skills that can replace Inês Bettencourt, who started at the point last season as a senior.
But figuratively, the majority of the key building blocks for the Zags are already in place. 6-3 forward Lauren Whittaker will return after a dominant first season at the collegiate level, where she was the WCC Player and Freshman of the Year after averaging a double-double (19.1 points, 10.2 rebounds). 5-8 guard Allie Turner will be a junior but has been a WCC All-First Team selection in each of the last two seasons, and she’s coming off a year where she shot 47.1% from beyond the arc. An impending point guard could facilitate even more favorable looks for this talented tandem.
As far as auxiliary pieces go, 5-10 guard Zeryhia Aokuso and 6-2 forward Taylor Smith are sticking around for their senior seasons after transferring in from Saint Mary’s and Weber State, respectively. Aokuso showcased a necessary change-of-pace to the offense as a shot creator, while Smith was a reliable rebounder and defender in the Bulldogs’ frontcourt. They meshed well with the other Bulldogs starters and have clearly bought into the program’s culture despite not being focal points in the team’s lifestyle.
If GU didn’t have Whittaker to count on, it would’ve been in solid shape regardless with Jaiden Haile. The 6-2 freshman from Fargo took home honors as the WCC Sixth Woman of the Year after averaging 7.1 points and 6.4 rebounds on 54.8% shooting off the bench. Strength and poise exuded when Haile was on the floor, and she gave opposing teams no breaks when Whittaker went to the sideline. And in addition to Turner and Lofing contributing to Gonzaga’s Division I-leading 39.1% clip from three-point range, Boise State sophomore Teryn Gardner brought consistency from the corner, knocking down 46% of her 113 tries from deep. Either Gardner or Haile could compete for a nod in the starting lineup, but they will be contributors in any role.
Graduate forward Sierra Lichtie will be in her final year of eligibility after she was hampered by injuries throughout the year. Lichtie played only in 20 games and routinely wore a brace on her right leg. But her being healthy, along with the integration of Lusk, should only bolster the Zags’ frontcourt depth and skillset. And freshman Julia Wilson, junior McKynnlie Dalan, and sophomore Christabel Osarobo all had strong spurts in reserve roles that could be expanded as they continue to develop. Osarobo and Wilson both have notable traits as perimeter defenders, with the latter even showing a capability to stretch the floor as well.
Headed to a new conference where unfamiliarity will be abundant, the Zags turning to familiar faces throughout the process will be invaluable. As they build off a concrete foundation and look to continue their winning ways, Gonzaga is in as good a shape as could be desired.
